Scott McLaughlin lands IndyCar debut with Team Penske

Two-time Supercars champion Scott McLaughlin is slated to make his IndyCar debut with Team Penske in the 2020 season finale at St. Petersburg.

Two-time and likely soon-to-be three-time Virgin Australia Supercars champion Scott McLaughlin had been slated to make his IndyCar debut this past May in the race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course for Team Penske.

But that race was rescheduled to early July due to the coronavirus pandemic, and as a result, the 27-year-old New Zealander was unable to compete in it.

His series debut was put on hold indefinitely.

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Now, however, it has been confirmed by Team Penske that he is slated to make his IndyCar debut later this year in the season finale on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida on Sunday, October 25.

McLaughlin is set to drive the #3 Chevrolet in this race, the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, alongside full-time teammates Josef Newgarden behind the wheel of the #1 Chevrolet, Will Power behind the wheel of the #12 Chevrolet and Simon Pagenaud behind the wheel of the #22 Chevrolet.

Here is what he had to say about this opportunity in a team release.

"“This is something I haven’t stopped thinking about, but I wanted to ensure my focus was on winning our third-straight Supercars championship for DJR Team Penske and all our partners in Australia. We are still laser-focused on that and have three more rounds to get it done, but I’m equally as excited to finally get the chance and make my INDYCAR debut.“I’ve been doing everything I can to keep up with the series this year, from watching as many races as I can on TV to even talking to the drivers and some of the engineers back at the Team Penske shop. I never knew if I would be able to get behind the wheel of one of these cars this year due to all the COVID-19 restrictions, but I wanted to be ready if it became an opportunity.”"

Here is what team president Tim Cindric had to add.

"“Our plan has always been for Scott to run a race in the INDYCAR SERIES this season, but we never wanted to take the focus away from the main goal, which is winning another Supercars Championship.“COVID-19 certainly altered those plans early on, but with the way the schedules have lined up at the end of this season, St. Pete became an available option and we remain committed to getting him some INDYCAR seat time. We know Scott is ready for this challenge and this should add even more excitement to the 2020 season finale in St. Petersburg.”"

McLaughlin, who unofficially scored the most points in the six-race IndyCar iRacing Challenge which was contested while the 2020 season was delayed due to the pandemic, has long been tipped to make the move to IndyCar on a full-time basis in the very near future, perhaps even next year.

While the subject of a full-time ride is still up in the air, his debut around the 14-turn, 1.8-mile (2.897-kilometer) temporary street circuit on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida could very well be a step in that direction.

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The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is set to be broadcast live from the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida on NBC beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, October 25.